STEPS

1. 1
   To understand the difference between legal and illegal "tagging" let's understand the terms.
   • Illegal tagging, as shown in the photo above, is an example of a gang signature.
     
   • Legal tagging is a free-style painting or mural, sometimes called a billboard, done with permission of the owner of the wall or building painted.
   • 
   • 
     2
     Get familiar with the various styles of graffiti. There are many, like handstyle and wildstyle. Do some online searching to get acquainted with all the styles.
   • 
     3
     Before even getting to walls and markers, you need a name. Make a tag name that is made and used by only you. Never copy someone else's name. Try to think outside the box and come up with a name that relates only to you.
   • 
     4
     Write your tag name on paper and start from there. Extend the ends of letters, or curve lines a bit. Add quotes and lines to your name. Make it creative and unique. Give it some flow. Make sure that the letters aren't too far apart; most graffiti names look like one big letter.
   • 
     5
     Practice more, and improve. Do not be afraid to experiment. Let your thoughts go free. Soon, you will get the hang of it. Remember, even if you're a good tagger, it's always a good idea to keep improving on your name.
   • 
     6
     Don't be simplistic. Your tag can be anything. Names are usually reserved as a gang claiming ownership, and legal painting often avoids this. Your painting can be a portrait, a modernist expression, or any imaginative symbolic painting that improves the look of an aging wall.